One Step At A Time
by After Six
Summary: Set after Card Captor Sakura The Movie 2: The Sealed Card and follows the previous plot of the anime series, Sakura and Syaoran try to deal with the aftermath of the day when Sakura finally told Syaoran about her true feelings... and the days that follow.
1. The Morning After

**Chapter 1  
The Morning After**

Sunshine filtered in through the curtains and touched Sakura's cheek, warming it up. She lay completely still on her bed with a faint smile on her lips that suggested she was probably dreaming something nice in her deep sleep and wasn't going to wake up any time soon unless she really had to.

Unfortunately, she kind of had to, as proven by the sound of her alarm clock ringing cheerfully a few seconds later. Even though her dream was cut short, when she opened her eyes, she quickly sat up and a look that was a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement crossed her face.

Kero flew out of his sleeping place inside her desk drawer and grinned at her. "Morning, Sakura! New term starts today, right?"

"Yeah," Sakura replied as she swung her feet to the floor and headed toward the bathroom. "I can't wait to get back and see everyone again."

"So long as you're sure all your homework's done this time. I'm so not helping you finish them at the last minute again," Kero yawned and went to the corner where he kept his secret stash of biscuits and snacks Sakura had smuggled into the room for him. "Not without some serious bribe, at least," he amended as he realized that his snack supply was running low already. He couldn't help it, he was just so hungry _all the time_.

"Don't worry, I've got everything covered this time!" Sakura answered cheerfully before she disappeared into the bathroom. Kero wasn't sure if he should feel relieved that he wouldn't have to try to solve tons of sixth grade Math problems in a matter of minutes or disappointed that he wasn't getting another supply of food in the near future. Oh well, he just hoped he could sneak into the kitchen and find something later when everyone had left.

A few minutes later Sakura had marched down the stairs all dressed in her school uniform and entered the kitchen. As usual, her father was already up and breakfast was already prepared. Her brother Touya was also already seated on his usual place, with an unexpected guest beside him.

"Yukito-san!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. She brightened at once and took a seat on the dining table.

"Morning, Sakura. Touya invited me for breakfast today. He's worried I might not get enough nutrition to start the new term," Yukito said, smiling wide.

"Good morning. That's very nice of him," Sakura said, smiling back. She always felt better when Yukito was around. After all, he was one of her favorite people in the world. Even now.

"I think you should start eating your breakfast, little monster, you don't want to be late on your first day back to school," Touya said in his usual blasé way, still concentrating on his own food.

Sakura balled her fists and looked at him in annoyance. "When will you stop calling me monster!" she said grudgingly, especially hating it if Touya made fun of her in front of Yukito.

"Hey, you look different today, Sakura," Yukito interjected, distracting Sakura from her unsuccessful attempt to stomp at Touya's feet (as usual). She turned to look at him in surprise, a question mark hovering above her head. "You look… like you're glowing."

Sakura blushed. Glowing?

"And a lot more mature than when I last saw you. I guess Touya _is_ going to have to stop calling you 'little'. You're going to be a junior high student soon. Don't you think she looks more mature, Touya?" Yukito looked at his best friend, who was still munching on his breakfast with an uninterested expression on his face. He had barely looked up to look at Sakura properly since she entered. Now he glanced at her, raised an eyebrow, and shrugged.

"Looks pretty much the same to me. Once a monster, always a monster," he said casually.

"Ugh! I'm NOT a monster!" Sakura exclaimed while trying to kick Touya again, except he moved his leg out of the way expertly. Yukito laughed as he watched the two siblings fight in their usual routine, cheering up the breakfast table.

As Sakura headed for the front door after finishing her breakfast and saying goodbye to her father, she watched Yukito and Touya walking ahead of her. She realized she was always going to like Yukito and that he was always going to have a special place in her heart, although he was no longer the one person she liked _the most_.

It was strange to see him in a new light—a new position, sort of. There were still some lingering feelings she had for him—feelings that she suspected would always be there, because she would always care about him. But when she saw Touya and Yukito together, talking to one another and looking very happy, she couldn't help but to smile to herself. There were no two people better matched for each other. With her big brother by his side, she knew she could trust that Yukito was not only going to be happy but also be well taken care of.

Then her gaze fell to their front gate, and her heart stopped for a beat or two. Speaking of people that could make each other happy, Li Syaoran was standing nervously right in front of her house, presumably waiting for her. Sakura's face turned red instantly and she watched as her big brother gave Syaoran the evil—or rather, suspicious—eye as usual as he passed him, then glanced at her once before he walked away reluctantly, leaving them alone behind. When Yukito and Touya were well out of sight, Shaoran lifted his gaze toward the house and caught Sakura's eyes. He blushed slightly in much the same manner she had and Sakura quickly approached him.

"Good morning," she greeted him once she was standing right before him, an uncertain smile forming on her lips.

"Good morning," he replied. "I… thought we could maybe walk to school together," he said, looking down at his shoes.

"You're going back to our school?" Sakura asked, realizing for the first time that Syaoran was also wearing the Tomoeda school uniform.

"Yeah, I…" Syaoran looked embarrassed. "Sort of asked my mother to let me finish school here at least, but I'm hoping to talk her into staying permanently."

"Is that possible?" Sakura's face brightened. "Because that would be so great! This is great news!" For a moment she looked as if she was going to hug him, but then changed her mind at the last minute, quickly averting her gaze.

"I think so too," Syaoran replied, shuffling his feet nervously. "Shall we go…?"

"Yes," Sakura nodded and they began to walk—well, she glided on her roller blade—but she made sure to go slow enough so he could easily keep up with her. The whole way to school neither of them said anything, and the silence felt uncomfortable.

A strange feeling enveloped Sakura. Suddenly she could not think of a single thing to talk about with Syaoran. She loved that he had waited for her in front of her house and walked with her, but she just… didn't know what to do next. This was a completely new situation for the both of them, and suddenly a memory flashed in her mind without her specifically trying to recall it.

_"Wait until the stairs return!" Syaoran had told her in a panicked expression once he realized what she was going to do._

_Throwing all caution out the window, Sakura grinned and ran forward as fast as she could, then jumped with all her might over the gap straight into his arms. "No way! I love you!" she exclaimed happily, shouting her deepest and most important feeling for the world to hear it. And landed in his safe embrace, feeling like the happiest girl in the whole world._

Heat crept up her face as she saw this scene replay itself in her mind. How come it was so easy for her to do something that was possibly dangerous (but certainly was the last thing she was concerned about at the time) back then? How could she just fly into his arms like it was something she did every day? And yet a few minutes earlier, she had hesitated to hug him, something she used to just spontaneously do with no problem whatsoever. She knew she had done it that time because she sincerely believed he would catch her. That he would not let anything happen to her, much like she would not let anything happen to him. But what had changed since then that made her feel unsure about how to be that girl she was that day anymore?

***

Break time. Sakura and Tomoyo were sitting on a bench at the school quad, eating their lunch.

"Where's Li?" Tomoyo asked, looking around. "Is he not meeting us here or anything?"

"Er… I don't know," Sakura admitted. When the break time bell had rung, she had pretty much dashed out of the classroom as quickly as possible without looking at Syaoran's face. She felt kind of bad—okay,_ really_ bad about it—but she was just seriously confused.

"You didn't invite him?" Tomoyo looked surprised. "But why?"

"I… don't know, Tomoyo," Sakura repeated. "I guess I just forgot." She looked at her best friend with an oh-duh-I'm-so-forgetful awkward smile, and Tomoyo just stared at her with a knowing look.

"Are you two going on any date any time soon?" she asked nonchalantly, causing Sakura to choke on her lunch.

"What?" she managed to say at last, after coughing for like a full minute.

"A date!" Tomoyo said brightly. "When is your first one?"

"I… am really not sure. We're kind of taking things slow?" Sakura scratched her not-so-itchy head.

"Well, if you're worried about me, don't be. I'll be sure to get out of your way. Before Meilin got back to Hong Kong, she told me to make sure you two get to have your own good time and that I should know when to leave you alone. You know you can tell me if you want to be alone with him, right? You don't have to feel obligated to ask me along too just because I'm your best friend. I mean… things are different now." She looked a bit sad. "I'm going to miss hanging out with you all the time, but I guess I have to learn to share. He is after all someone that makes you happy. So long as you still allow me to film you in your various cute battle costumes! You'll have to promise to let me film you more often now that I won't get to see you as much, so I could just look at the awesome movies whenever you're not around with me!" Tomoyo added with her trademark super-happy smile and glossed over eyes she always had whenever she was talking about capturing Sakura on film.

Sakura just grinned at her in that uncertain oh-what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you-and-your-obsessed-filmmaking look on her face, letting Tomoyo launch into a monologue about her plans for Sakura's next action movie.

Tomoyo had said things were different now. Sakura just didn't realize _how_ different it would be.

***

"Sakura," a familiar hand touched Sakura's shoulder when she was collecting her stuff to prepare to go home after the final bell finally rang. It was Syaoran, waiting by his desk, which was right behind hers in class.

"Yes?" Sakura asked, turning to look at him.

"Can we… can we talk?" he asked uncertainly.

"Sure," she replied, shouldering her bag. "Let's walk home together." She glanced at Tomoyo, who usually walked home with her, who also had noticed this scene and gave her the thumbs up before joining Rika, Naoko, and the others. She would be walking home with them today.

Grateful to have such a sensitive best friend, Sakura walked slowly out of the school with Syaoran by her side. They were still surrounded with that awkward silence, and she couldn't stand it. She wanted to get rid of it so badly. She realized now that was why she had been avoiding him. Things used to be so easy between them, but now after they finally told each other their feelings, it was like he became a different person to her and there was a wall between them. Sakura was beginning to doubt if this was such a good idea after all. Maybe she shouldn't have been so impulsive. Just before she was about to speak up because she couldn't stand it any longer, Syaoran cleared his throat.

"Sakura, I… what's going on with us?" he asked straight to the point, catching her off guard. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, all kinds of feeling mixing into one in the pit of her stomach, until she wasn't even sure anymore what they were.

"What do you mean?" she asked at last.

"Well… I just feel like… you don't know how to be around me anymore," he said, gazing at the road far ahead. "It's like we've become strangers. Do you feel uncomfortable around me now? Do you… not like me anymore?"

She shook her head vigorously. "It's not that!" she exclaimed, because that was the question which answer she felt surest about. "I still like you. I just… I'm confused. I guess… I guess I don't know how to be more than your friend," she admitted.

"Well, then, keep being my friend," Syaoran replied gently, which made her look up at him in surprise. "Who says we have to be… a couple, or whatever? I mean, we know we care about each other more than friends, but we don't have to do things differently, you know? We're still very young. We don't have to do all that couple stuff if you don't want to. We can just hang out together and have fun like usual. That's what we're good at, right?"

Sakura blinked and stared into Syaoran's big brown eyes. She had never seen it that way before, but then again, he had always been the one that understood these things first anyway.

"Yeah. I love being your friend," she said uncertainly. "I _know_ how to be your friend. I don't know what I'm supposed to do as your…" her sentence trailed off, the word eluding her tongue.

"Girlfriend?" Syaoran finished for her, making her blush. He had a faint shade of pink on his cheeks too. Sakura nodded silently. "Well, like I said, we don't need to change anything. It's not like you weren't already hugging me and stuff all the time when we were just friends, anyway."

Sakura blushed at this. It was strange to think back at those times when she could spontaneously embrace him simply because she was grateful for him being around, seeing him as nothing else but another very good friend. Now she knew better, and somehow it only made her feel embarrassed about doing those things even if that was what normal couples apparently do. And here she thought after she told him her feelings everything would be fine again. That they could finally return to what they used to be. But the fact was, they both had changed a lot since then and they were no longer those two kids competing to find all the Clow Cards and become their master anymore.

"You know I'm not the type that does all that couple things," Syaoran continued. "So I'm not going to start sending you romantic messages or anything," he seemed nervous and looked away from her. "It already took me forever just to give you that teddy bear, and I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't practically run after me and found me at the airport, and asked if you could have it. So you know… maybe we're both bad at this. And if those kinds of things make you uncomfortable, we don't have to do them. The important thing is; we know we love each other, right?" His gaze softened as he looked at her again. "We don't need to show it all the time. I will always know, and so will you."

Sakura didn't know what to say. All she knew was that Syaoran was telling her exactly the things she wanted to hear, and he was proving to understand her better than she herself.

"I… I like doing those things," she blurted out after a few seconds of trying to find her voice. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still a girl, and making chocolates and teddy bears and giving them to the person I like the most is something I _do_ like doing. And I _want_ to do it with you, too. Maybe not now, because I'm still… trying to find my new place when it comes to you, but I certainly want to start doing those things in the future."

Syaoran looked surprised, but then he smiled. "That's good. I'd like that too. But let's just allow it to happen on its own time. For now, however… what do you say we just go back to what we used to be good at?"

Sakura gave him a big smile. "I'd like that very much." And then, after hesitating for a moment, she bounced on her feet and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad we talked about this! Thank you, Syaoran," she said sincerely. Syaoran's face turned as red as a cooked crab, but he hugged her back. A little awkwardly, he patted her shoulder.

"It's okay. Let's just take things slow."

She grinned, all her worries gone now and she was all happy and cheerful again in her typical way. Syaoran liked that about her; how her feelings always seemed so simple and honest. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. "Shall we go home now?"

He smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand gently. The sun was setting, and they walked toward the beautiful orange orb disappearing into the horizon, feeling like they were back to their familiar yet at the same time new places again. Where they knew what to do and who they were supposed to be, and most importantly; whom they loved.

And so the two of them walked hand in hand, their concerns settled, realizing that everything was going to be alright after all.


	2. Valentine

**Chapter 2  
Valentine**

"Keroberos! Back off slowly from the tray and nobody will get hurt," Sakura ordered sternly, in a voice that Kero had never heard her use on anyone before.

He turned to peek at her and gasped. "Sakura, you're actually threatening me with your _magic wand_?" he exclaimed in his best I'm-hurt voice. "And I'm not even in my true form! What are you going to do, _attack_ me with one of your cards? Right here in your own _kitchen_?"

Sakura sighed. She had to admit, she was probably being too extreme. She lowered her wand and transformed it back to its key form. Old habits die hard, even if now there was hardly any occasion to use her magic anymore. She wasn't sure if she missed it or actually enjoyed having a normal life for once.

"Well, I worked for hours on those chocolates, and only Syaoran's going to get to touch them, okay?" she picked up the tray and shoved it into the refrigerator to let the newly finished chocolates cool down. "I swear I will hurt you if you steal even one of them, Kero," she looked at him threateningly.

"Fine!" Kero's eyes widened. "Gee, girls in love are seriously scary. I'm going nowhere near those chocolates."

Sakura's cheeks warmed up as she watched Kero floated away in annoyance. Even now, months after they officially became more than friends, she still felt strange to hear people declaring it out loud; she was _in love_ with someone. And said person along with everyone close to her actually knew about it. She was actually part of an actual relationship. Sure, it had started out rather shaky but she and Syaoran had managed to fall back into their comfortable and familiar zone in no time even if they had to adjust to their new status. It was evidently easier just to let it happen naturally.

She climbed the steps up to her room, planning to start working on that beautiful wrapped box she was going to put the chocolates into. Tomorrow was going to be their first Valentine's Day together, and she was so nervous and excited at the same time she feared she might not get any sleep at all tonight.

***

"Good morning, Sakura," Fujitaka Kinomoto's voice broke the still morning air. "Wow, you are actually up earlier than me today."

"Good morning, Dad," Sakura replied, tying the bow around her now neatly wrapped box of chocolate and slid off the stool. "All done!" she clapped her hands with glee.

"You haven't been up all night working on that, have you?" her father asked jokingly.

"Of course not," she looked at her feet rather embarrassedly. "I just want it to be perfect," she added quietly.

Her father gently pushed her chin up and smiled. "Sure you do, but you know what's in your heart is the most important thing, right?"

Sakura nodded, smiling back. She knew she could always count on her father to give her the best advice and say the right things. "I love you, Dad. Happy Valentine's Day," she hugged him tight. He returned the embrace and urged her to get some breakfast. Sakura wasn't sure she could eat anything because her stomach was doing all kinds of gymnastic moves that she didn't know it was capable of, but she managed to finish her meal somehow. After saying goodbye to her father, she quickly grabbed her present and dashed out of the house before her brother even arrived downstairs. If Touya saw the box of chocolates, she just knew she'd never hear the end of it.

***

Today Syaoran was not waiting for her to walk to school together because he'd said he had some errands to run and would be running a bit late. Sakura was relieved, because that meant she had more time to prepare before she presented her Valentine gift for him. At first she tried to think of something good to say, but after scanning about half a dozen Valentine cards she decided all of them sounded too pretentious and didn't reflect what she wanted to say at all. She would just have to go with something simple, original, and from the heart. It wasn't like he didn't already know her feelings.

"Good morning, Sakura," Tomoyo's voice startled her out of her reverie, and she looked up to find her best friend's smiling face beside her. "Is that for Syaoran?" Tomoyo pointed at the wrapped present.

"Uh-huh," Sakura nodded, blushing slightly. It seemed she would never ever get used to the fact that she actually had a… _boyfriend_. The word _still _sounded weird in her head, and even more so when someone said it out loud (_she _never did, for obvious reasons).

"Good luck," Tomoyo patted her shoulder and took her seat beside Sakura's table. "Not that you'll need it. You both are so very much in love and it's obvious. I'm thinking since there's no more Card Captor action, maybe I should film your romantic escapades instead! You make a really cute couple, you know that? It'd be a wonderful romance movie!"

"Tomoyo!" Sakura looked horrified at the idea that she'd be starring in her own reality romance movie.

"I'm just kidding, of course," Tomoyo laughed. "It's your private life and it shall remain that way. Although I really wish there's a way of recording it nonetheless without disrupting you two… do you think my mother might have one of those high-tech mini hidden cameras?"

"Tomoyo!" Sakura repeated in disbelief. Her best friend simply giggled again, leaving Sakura wondering if she really was just joking or not. With Tomoyo and her crazy obsession over filming her, sometimes she really could never know. Not that she didn't still love her dearly no matter what.

"Oh, here comes the lucky guy," Tomoyo whispered, causing Sakura's heart to jump to her throat. She turned to look at the classroom door and, sure enough, Syaoran was there. By now the class had started filling with students, and everywhere she looked the girls were offering their own wrapped chocolates in various shapes and forms to every boy they liked. The halls were filled with excited chatter and the atmosphere was filled with that hopeful, anxious, and anticipative feeling all around.

Sakura swallowed and waited for Syaoran to arrive at his desk, right behind hers. "Good morning," he greeted her first, smiling ever so faintly. Sakura had gotten used to this by now. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see her; it was just that he wasn't big on smiling in general. He was one of those boys who just weren't so good when it came to expressing his actual feelings. And she always wondered how he ended up confessing his love for her first.

Maybe because she was never even aware of _her_ feelings toward him until he did that.

"Good morning," she replied cheerfully. "Um… Syaoran, I have something for you. Here," she handed him the wrapped box, her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest. "I… uh, made it for you. Happy Valentine's Day."

Yes, she kind of ended up not saying anything special, but she believed she'd poured all her feelings into those chocolates and that was more than enough. It always seemed weird for her anyway to say that kinds of things out of nowhere.

For a moment Syaoran looked perplexed, but he accepted the gift. Then he seemed to remember something and looked mildly embarrassed. "Oh. Yeah… um… thanks. Thank you, Sakura," he said sincerely, although awkwardly. "May I…?"

"Yeah, sure, open it," Sakura smiled encouragingly.

He unwrapped the box and opened the lid. When he saw the chocolates inside, his faint smile grew wider. He took one and popped it into his mouth. "This is delicious," he said. "Thank you again for making this for me." He gave her a look that was filled with so many emotions, she didn't even mind that he hadn't said anything special either. She could read it all in his eyes. She knew it, just like he knew it.

Tomoyo let out a long sigh as she swooned over the beautiful scene, wishing again she could capture it on camera.

Oh yes, they all knew it.

***

"You _what_?!" Meilin's voice blared through the receiver so loudly, Syaoran had to move it away from his ear to make sure it wasn't going to break his eardrums.

"I said I kind of forgot today's Valentine's Day!" he repeated in a whisper, looking around in a rather paranoid manner in fear that someone might hear him, especially Sakura.

"_How_ could you _forget_ Valentine's Day?!" Meilin yelled again in disbelief.

"You know I'm not good at these things!" he said in annoyance.

"Oh yeah, I remember all too well how badly you treated me, your ex-fiancée," she replied haughtily, then her tone became threatening. "You'd better _not _treat Kinomoto the same way, or I'll hop on the first plane and kick your butt myself!"

"I'm calling you exactly because of that!" Syaoran insisted. "I don't want to screw this up, Meilin. Tell me what to do. I don't think she has realized yet that I've forgotten, but I haven't made or bought anything for her."

"Well, technically, Valentine's Day's tradition is for the girls to give the boys chocolates. So you don't really have to give her anything. But you must remember to give her something back on White Day. That's the boys' turn, and it's a month from now. You'd better make a giant mark on your calendar, Syaoran."

"Do we really have to follow these traditions?"

"What are you saying? You can't just accept what she must've worked all night on to make and not make any effort to give her back anything! What kind of boyfriend are you?!" Meilin exploded again, and Syaoran considered ending the conversation for his health's sake.

"That's not what I'm saying! I mean… why can't I give her back something _today_?"

Silence filled the other end for a moment. "Oh. Well, I suppose there's no rule against that. But you just said you haven't prepared anything. How are you going to give her anything today?"

"Well, like I've been trying to say, that's why I'm calling you!" he said impatiently. "What else would girls like beside something I have to make or bake myself? Isn't there something else doable in less than a day? It's times like these I wish I have those Clow Cards in my disposal. You think maybe I could borrow one of them without her knowing?"

"Using magic to win a girl's heart is cheating and intolerable, Syaoran," Meilin said sternly. "And you know, I admire your dedication and everything, but don't you think it's rather unfair of you to ask for help for your love life from your own, probably still brokenhearted ex-fiancée?"

"Oh don't even try it, Meilin. I heard the news that you've started dating some famous Hong Kong young actor or something. How old is this boy anyway?"

"It's not like that!" Meilin exclaimed, though Syaoran could hear surprise and embarrassment in her voice. "He's only thirteen and he's a soon-to-be famous singer! He's got his first debut and everything, and may I just say; he's gorgeous and he's totally head over heels in love with me."

"Of course he is," Syaoran said evenly. "You're a one of a kind girl, Meilin, you know that."

Another brief silence in which Meilin might or might not be relishing the compliment. "Are you just being nice because you're asking me for a favor?"

"Maybe," Syaoran grinned to himself.

Meilin sighed. "Fine. But only because I'm really nice."

"Sure you are. Now tell me your brilliant idea. I want to make her as happy as she made me feel today."

***

"Isn't it a better idea to go here tomorrow?" Sakura asked as she closed her coat tighter around her while Syaoran held her free hand, leading her into the amusement park. "The park's closing in an hour, Syaoran."

"I just want to show you something," Syaoran said, walking toward the Ferris Wheel. "Just this one ride with me, okay?" he smiled his half-smile at her, which chased all her doubts away.

"Sure," she agreed and followed his lead, though she was still curious. She sensed that he might be planning something, but she wasn't sure what. She didn't even know what the occasion was. She wasn't expecting him to do anything special today, because she knew how he was. But when that afternoon he had called her and asked if she'd like to go out with him to the amusement park for just a few short hours, of course she couldn't say no. If anything, she wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

They climbed into an empty cabin and ascended slowly to the falling night. Sakura remembered the last time she was there; she was with Yukito after that Firey card incident, in a date much like this one. To remember back to those times, it felt so weird that back then Syaoran was just another face in the crowd—another friend she could never think of as anything more. Back then she was so sure Yukito was the one she wanted to be with… but look how things had turned out in such a short amount of time.

Neither of them said anything during their whole ride to the top, just enjoying the comfortable silence. Then, when they reached the highest peak of the wheel, Sakura noticed something bright outside her window. She turned to look closer and gasped in surprise. Far below on the ground, what looked like the shape of a winged heart made out of a thousand candles was glimmering under the sky. The shape looked exactly like the one in her Love card. The Sakura Card that had appeared that day Syaoran was leaving for Hong Kong, formed by her tears when she finally realized what it really meant.

She looked at him in amazement. "Is that…?"

"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully. "I know it's probably a bit… over the top, but I couldn't think of anything else… to show my feelings for you."

Well, it was Meilin's idea. Of course it was a _bit _over the top.

"You made that?" Sakura still looked astonished. "But that must've taken hours!"

"It must've also taken hours to make those delicious chocolates you gave me this morning," he replied simply. "I was just… trying to return the gesture." He scratched his head self-consciously. "Um… Happy Valentine's Day."

Sakura felt like a big bubble of joy just erupted within her. Not able to contain her feelings any longer, she jumped and went to hug him tight. "Thank you! Syaoran, that's _wonderful_! That's _way _more amazing than just baking chocolates!"

"It's okay," he hugged her back awkwardly. "I just wanted to make sure you know I feel the same way."

"Of course I do," she looked at him with a smile. "How do you know about that Love card?"

"I… have my sources," he said mysteriously. She laughed and decided not to ask further. It didn't matter anyway; she just had the best Valentine's Day gift ever.

Syaoran continued to look at her, wondering how he could love someone so much it felt like his heart might explode. He wanted this feeling to last forever, because it was just that breathtaking and he couldn't imagine living without it any longer. He felt himself pulling her closer and leaning toward her a little. Her eyes widened, and he could see doubts in them, causing him to waver himself.

Perhaps it was still too soon.

He smiled and landed a kiss softly on her forehead before letting her go. He could not quite believe what he just did, not to mention what he _really _wanted to do. Then again, today he had done a lot of things that were very unlike him, he wasn't all that surprised anymore.

Maybe it was just one of those things that love could do to you.

As she laid her head on his shoulder and together they watched the heart continue to shine like a beacon of hope for their unknown future, he realized he didn't mind so much changing a little for her, shedding some of that tough exterior.

Especially if it was going to make her happy, because nothing could make _him _happier than seeing her smile.


	3. Love is A Battlefield

**Chapter 3  
Love is A Battlefield**

The second term of sixth grade came and went, and time flew by quickly. Before everyone realized it, junior high school loomed in front of them. Sakura stood before her full-length mirror that day, staring at her own reflection. She certainly looked different in her brand new uniform. In a way, even if she hadn't changed much from yesterday, this morning she seemed to be a little bit taller. And her gaze just a little bit surer, her arms longer, her body more defined…

"Sakura! You look really cute!" Kero ambushed her from out of nowhere, and letting out a yelp of surprise, Sakura fumbled with a tangle of miniature limbs and wings that were all over her face before she could see properly again.

"Kero! You're ruining my hair!" she held the floating plush toy at arm's length, even as he continued to flail in excitement.

"Junior high student! Junior high student! This is such an exciting day!" Kero bounced around happily, and Sakura eventually couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was the beginning of a new chapter in her life indeed. She felt sad to have to say goodbye to Tomoeda Elementary School, but since most of her friends went to Tomoeda Junior High School with her, she wasn't going to miss too many of them. More importantly, both Tomoyo and Syaoran were going there too, so all was well.

"I'm going to breakfast now. Don't want to be late for my first day at junior high school!" she waved to Kero, who tried to sneak into her bag unsuccessfully. "Stay, Kero! And be nice! I'll be home soon!" she ordered sternly, waving one finger at him.

Kero pouted. "But I really want to see your new school! Fine, I'll just spy it later myself." He crossed his arms as Sakura's room door closed behind her.

Downstairs, Fujitaka Kinomoto was standing by the breakfast table with a camera. As Sakura appeared at the door with her bag slung over one shoulder, he took a picture of his daughter, the camera flash freezing Sakura in surprise. "Dad! What was that about?" she protested when she finally realized what happened.

Her father just grinned. "Had to take a picture of your first day as a junior high student. You're growing up too fast, Sakura!"

"Agreed. At this rate, she'll be a full-grown monster in no time, and then we all have to worry for the well-beings of the people in town," Touya chimed in from where he was lounging on one of the chairs, a half-eaten bread held casually in one hand.

Despite her best efforts to be graceful, Sakura marched over and tried to kick him, only to hit one of the table's legs instead. "Quit it with the monster thing! I'm not a kid anymore now!"

"You're twelve years old," Touya pointed out. "That's hardly an adult. Barely a teenager, really."

"Well, it's not long before my thirteenth birthday!"

"Hey, are you still dating that brat?" Touya changed the subject suddenly. And just like that, the tinges of red on Sakura's face turned from signifying anger to portraying full-blown embarrassment.

"Don't say it like that! And he's not a brat!"

"I thought you wanted to be all grown up. 'Dating' is what we call it in the adult world. Considering you're still blushing at the mention of his name, I really don't think you're ready to stop being a kid, little sister."

Sakura growled in frustration and hopped onto her chair, starting to eat her breakfast.

"So how long do you two plan to continue… this little… relationship of yours, whatever it's called?" Touya asked again.

Sakura glared at him. "What kind of question is that?"

"Well, I'm just saying, it's junior high school. Time to broaden your horizon and all, including when it comes to guys. It just feels like a shame if you keep holding on to one person since elementary school," her brother raised his eyebrows tauntingly.

"Why is it a shame?" she asked back defiantly.

"Well, because who marries their elementary school boyfriend?"

"Don't be mean, Touya. Your mother married her high school sweetheart, even if I wasn't exactly a student as well at the time," Fujitaka replied with a fond smile, and all three of them turned to look at Nadeshiko's picture.

Touya's mouth twitched ever so slightly. "I know. I was just trying to see how committed she is to the little brat. I guess I can approve of him, just as soon as I get to interrogate him."

"You won't do such thing!" Sakura exclaimed in annoyance. "And let me tell you, I'm really committed to him. He's the most important person to me," she stated clearly, even as her cheeks felt hot and she was looking more at her food than at her brother.

Touya glanced at her and finally really smiled, "Good for you. Just so you know, it's only going to get tougher from here. Better prepare yourself for the real world."

***

"Is there something on your mind, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked gently, bringing Sakura back from her reverie. She looked up at her best friend, standing in an identical uniform as her own, and shook her head.

"Just something my brother said this morning. I still don't understand what he meant. But I'm alright, don't worry about it." Smiling wide, she pulled Tomoyo to the announcement boards. "Let's check out our new classes! If we're lucky, we might be in the same class again."

The two girls approached the crowd already milling in around the announcement board, and after making their way slowly to the front, they finally managed to get a good look at the list. "There!" Tomoyo said delightedly. "Class 1-A! We're together, Sakura!" She hugged her friend excitedly at the same time as Sakura spotted both their names. Squealing happily, she squeezed Tomoyo's hands, unable to believe her luck. But then her eyes darted back toward the list, looking for another name. Not long after, she reached the bottom of it and couldn't find it. Her heart sank.

"Sakura, Tomoyo," a new voice joined them, and Sakura turned to see Syaoran appearing as if on cue. "Good morning," he said to the two girls. "I'm afraid we're not in the same class. I'm in 1-B," he pointed to the list next to Class 1-A's names. Sakura followed his gaze and found his name there indeed. She was disappointed, but then she realized they couldn't have all stayed in the same class forever. They wouldn't get to know new people otherwise. Trying to put it out of her mind, she put on a brave smile.

"It's alright. We can still see each other at break time," she said reassuringly, partly aimed at herself.

"And walk to school and back home together," Syaoran added quickly. A smile formed on his lips too, and Sakura instantly felt less upset. She grinned and nodded. Of course, this was just a minor inconvenience. They were still going to be okay.

***

At break time, Sakura strolled out of her new class with Tomoyo and a few new girls that didn't come from Tomoeda Elementary, and when she passed Class 1-B, she looked inside to see if Syaoran was still inside. She found him quite easily, leaning against a window, speaking animatedly. Smiling to herself at the sight of him looking more excited than she'd ever seen him before, she suddenly paused mid-step when she finally saw who he was talking to.

It was a girl she'd never seen before, and she was strikingly beautiful with long dark brown hair and eyes as blue as the sky. Her posture showed that she was confident and very comfortable with herself, and for some reason she looked very mature for a junior high student. From her body language, it was clear that she was someone who knew exactly how pretty she was, and was quite proud of it.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo finally noticed that she had stopped walking, and followed her gaze inside. Before she could say anything, Syaoran suddenly turned as if aware he was being watched, and saw the pair of them. He looked surprised, as if he'd quite forgotten about them, and then quickly walked toward them while motioning for the mysterious girl to follow him.

"Sakura, Tomoyo, uh… this is Suzuki Seira. Suzuki, these are Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo, my friends from elementary school," he introduced them in turn.

"Nice to meet you," Tomoyo smiled at Seira and shook her hand. Then she nudged Sakura, who was still a bit frozen, until she finally snapped out of it and blushed.

"Oh! Right, I'm Kinomoto, nice to meet you," she offered her hand too and Seira shook it with a firm grasp.

"Nice to meet you both as well," she said, her voice clear and confident. Sakura could already tell that she could easily have a career as a singer. "I was just getting to know Li here. I didn't expect anyone here to know martial arts at such a young age, but apparently he's quite professional! That is awesome, because I've been looking for a teacher for so long, yet my mother wouldn't let me because she doesn't think a girl ought to do such thing! But you'll teach me, won't you, Li?"

Syaoran smiled at her. "Just as long as you're sure it won't get me in trouble with your mother."

"Of course not! We'll be discreet. And I still can't get over how you're from China! That is so cool!" She grinned with enthusiasm, and Sakura and Tomoyo looked at each other with an uncertain smile.

"So, Li, are you joining us for lunch?" Tomoyo asked. "Of course, Suzuki could come too."

"Oh, but I thought you were going to show me some basic moves today?" Seira interjected. "You promised!" she added with a pout.

"Uh…" Syaoran looked uncomfortably from Sakura to Seira.

"It's okay," Sakura said quickly. "You two go ahead. You've made plans, we can always meet up later on."

"But…" Syaoran still seemed torn, but Sakura quickly grabbed Tomoyo's hand and turned.

"It's fine, really! I'll see you after school!" she waved at him cheerfully and walked away before Syaoran could protest again.

Tomoyo glanced back at the pair as Sakura pulled her toward the quad, almost a little bit too forcefully if she might add. "Sakura, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura answered immediately. "Why?"

"It's just…" Tomoyo seemed like she wanted to say something more, but then quickly shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just eat!"

***

Days went by quickly, and lately it seemed every time Sakura tried to locate Syaoran, Seira was always with him. Three days ago she waited for him after school so they could walk home together, and found that Syaoran and Seira were staying back to finish some homework that she couldn't figure out herself, so Sakura decided to go home first. Yesterday she was meeting him up for a trip to the town fair that just opened, but when she called him after waiting for half an hour, it turned out he'd forgotten all about it because he was accompanying Seira to a dojo she'd always wanted to visit, and had lost track of time. He said he was going to get there as soon as possible, but Sakura had told him to stay and assured him that she was okay just going with Tomoyo. She tried to keep thinking positive as much as possible, but Sakura couldn't deny that she was having some worries that would not go away.

Today, unable to get rid of her anxiety, she decided to buy a box of moon cakes that she knew Syaoran liked so much and dropped by his house. She rang the doorbell once and waited. Even as she stood there, her concerns began to melt away. This was one of his favorite food; no doubt he'd be happy to see her surprise visit. And they hadn't seen each other much lately at all…

"Kinomoto-chan?" An unexpected voice greeted her when the door opened. Sakura felt her heart froze as she looked up and found herself staring at Seira.

"Oh," she stammered, confused. "I… I was just…"

"You're looking for Li?" Seira asked lightly, pointing inside. "He's in the kitchen. He's teaching me how to make moon cakes. Apparently it's one of his favorite food."

Sakura found her tongue paralyzed; she couldn't say anything. A few seconds later footsteps bounded on the floor and Syaoran's figure appeared. "Who's at the door?" He asked, and when Seira turned, he finally saw Sakura. "Oh! Sakura?" He seemed more than a little surprised, and maybe a little bit guilty.

"I was just… going to drop these," she smiled weakly and indicated the box of moon cakes. "But Suzuki told me you're baking some already, so I guess I'll eat them myself. Well, I'm sorry to have interrupted you. I'll see you later!" she turned quickly, and before Syaoran could stop her she had disappeared out of his sight.

***

"Sakura, is everything alright?" Tomoyo asked the next day, noticing Sakura's less-than-excited expression all day. Her friend just nodded without even trying to make it look convincing. Tomoyo seemed reluctant to say more, but she eventually asked again, "Is this about Li? Are you two okay?"

This time Sakura shrugged. "I don't know, Tomoyo. Do you think… do you think it's foolish of me to hold on to one person when I'm still so young? When there are still so many people out there and we're just starting to grow up? After all, we've been together for quite some time now, and nothing much has happened, and sometimes I feel we're no different than we were friends anyway, so maybe we should just go back…"

"Of course not!" Tomoyo said at once. "You and Li are meant to last forever, it's so obvious to me! Why spend so much time looking at other people and trying to find the right person when you've found them? You're one of the lucky ones, you know. Other people go through so many heartaches looking for the one they're destined to be with."

"You really think so?" Sakura looked at Tomoyo in wonder.

Tomoyo put her hand gently on top of Sakura's. "I know so."

***

"Sakura, can I walk you home today?"

To Sakura's surprise, Syaoran was waiting right outside her class that day. She wasn't expecting it at all, so it was nice, but she sensed that he wanted to talk about something important, and she was afraid of what she might hear. Nevertheless, she braced herself for it and nodded. Soon the two of them left the front gate, and the chatter of the other students subsided as they entered the smaller streets.

"Listen, Sakura, I know I've been… distracted lately," Syaoran began. "And I'm really sorry."

"It's alright," Sakura said automatically. However, upon hearing this, Syaoran stopped short and whirled to face her so fast it surprised her. He looked really troubled.

"But it shouldn't be alright! Sakura, I…" he trailed off, looking frustrated. "Tell me, are you not the least bit upset that I've been spending more time with Suzuki than with you lately?"

Sakura stared at him in confusion, wondering if this was a trick question. "I… well, she's your friend…"

"But you're my…!" he couldn't seem to say it as his face turned red. "You're the most important girl for me," he finished quietly, looking down at his feet. "But I'm not sure if you still feel that way about me too."

"What?" Sakura blinked in utter bewilderment. "Of course I do! Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because of the way you've been behaving! The way you're so okay with everything! I didn't mean to spend so much time with Suzuki, but I did, and that was wrong. And you weren't even upset! You weren't mad! You were just smiling and assuring me it was fine and every time I wanted to cancel my plans with her and be with you, you told me not to! Sakura, can't you see that you're driving me crazy?"

"_I'm_ driving _you _crazy?"

"Yes! If you really care about me, then you would feel entitled to be angry with me! If you really feel that you're my most important person, then you wouldn't have been okay with me and Suzuki. Why aren't you fighting for me, Sakura? Do you not like me anymore?"

"I do!" Sakura was really confused now. She could feel tears pooling in her eyes. "And I'm… I'm upset! I just don't know how to… I thought it was selfish of me to not share you with someone else!"

Seeing the tears, Syaoran pulled her into an embrace and held her tight. "Oh, Sakura… you're too kind. You're so nice that you don't even know how to be angry with me for making a new friend, one who has started to become dangerously close to something more. Even if you have all the rights in the world to be jealous."

"I wanted to trust you!" she sobbed, realizing that everything he was saying was true. Now she felt like all the emotions that she'd been suppressing for the last week finally destroyed the walls she'd so carefully built around them, and they were all finally let loose. And it felt _good _to be able to acknowledge them at last. "But I _am _sad, Syaoran. I _do _miss you. And I'm scared I might lose you," she blurted out, feeling like they were the most honest words she'd said all week.

Syaoran's face softened, and he looked relieved at this confession. "You won't," he rested his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her green eyes. "I'm so sorry to have put you through this. I will make it clear to Suzuki that you're the most important thing to me and she can't have me all the time. You will always come first. We may be changing, and growing up, but my feelings for you have stayed the same." She sniffled and hugged him hard, feeling like all her burden had been relieved at last.

"I'm sorry too," she choked. "I'm really bad at this being in a relationship thing."

"I know," Syaoran said in amusement, patting her gently. "It would be nice if you'll fight for me next time. You were always so fierce in battles when you were gathering the Clow Cards, Sakura. So I know you have that in you. Don't lose that. And I… I want to be the one worth fighting for the most to you."

Sakura felt her skin heat up, but she was suddenly reminded by Touya's words. Suddenly what he meant by that became crystal clear. She squeezed Syaoran's hands lightly and smiled shyly. "You are. I promise I'll do my best next time."

"Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you," Syaoran looked at her with an almost sad look. "Maybe you _do _deserve someone better…"

"No!" Sakura responded immediately. "I forbid you from thinking that way! I'm the one who gets to decide that, and I think you deserve me very much."

Syaoran smiled slowly. "Well, that's more like it. That's the fierce Sakura I know and love. You're getting better at it already."

Her eyes widening, she punched Syaoran playfully. "You were just testing me to see how I would react?!"

"Maybe," he suppressed his grin, and she laughed, feeling relieved.

"So we're okay, right?" he asked her softly, his gaze making her heart feel warm with love.

"We are," she confirmed, wiping her tears from her cheeks with a grin. He grinned back and clasped her hand, then they slowly turned to continue their journey home, each having learned yet another valuable lesson for their ever blossoming relationship.


End file.
